Gints Zilbalodis

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Gints Zilbalodis
Gints Zilbalodis in January 2025 (cropped).jpeg
Zilbalodis in 2025
Born (1994-04-13) 13 April 1994 (age 31)
Riga, Latvia
Occupation(s) Animator, film director, composer
Notable work
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Gints Zilbalodis signature.svg

Gints Zilbalodis (born 13 April 1994) is a Latvian filmmaker, animator and composer. A prominent figure of Latvian animation, Zilbalodis is best known for directing non-dialogue animated adventure films Away (2019) and Flow (2024), the latter of which earned him accolades including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and two Annie Awards, with nominations for two British Academy Film Awards, making him and co-producer Matīss Kaža the first Latvians to win an Academy Award. [1]

Contents

Early life

Gints Zilbalodis is the child of a painter mother and a sculptor father. He gained interest in filmmaking as a medium for expressing his thoughts; he stated that he struggles to express his emotions externally. He chose not to attend university as Latvia had no animation schools, instead teaching himself animation, sound design, and musical composition. [2]

Career

After directing seven short films, Zilbalodis' debut feature, Away , premiered in 2019. Written, directed, and scored by Zilbalodis himself, Away was awarded the Contrechamps prize at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival and was nominated for an Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Music in a Feature Production. [3] [4]

Zilbalodis' second feature film, Flow , was selected to screen in the Un Certain Regard portion of the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. [5] Unlike his past works, Flow marked the first time Zilbalodis collaborated with other staff, with animation co-produced by Sacrebleu Productions of France and Take Five of Belgium. [6] It went on to win numerous awards worldwide, including Best Animated Feature at the 97th Academy Awards and in the same category at the 82nd Golden Globe Awards, [7] [8] while receiving nominations for two British Academy Film Awards and the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. [7] Due to the success of Flow in Latvia, Zilbalodis was honoured as "Rigan of the Year" in 2024. [2] [9]

Filmography

Short films

Feature films

Awards and nominations

Away

YearAwardCategoryNominated workResultRef.
2019 Annecy International Animation Film Festival Contrechamps Award for Best Feature Film Away Won [13]
Lielais Kristaps Best Animated Feature FilmWon [14]
Strasbourg European Fantastic Film Festival Best Animated FeatureWon [15]
Best European Fantastic Feature FilmNominated [15]
2020 Annie Awards Outstanding Music in a Feature Production Nominated [16]
Vilnius International Film Festival New Europe – New Names CompetitionNominated

Flow

Zilbalodis's Academy Award statuette was put on display at the Latvian National Museum of Art. Academy Award statuette at the Latvian National Museum of Art.png
Zilbalodis's Academy Award statuette was put on display at the Latvian National Museum of Art.
Selected awards and nominations received for Flow
YearAwardCategoryNominated workResultRef.
2024 Cannes Film Festival Un Certain Regard Flow Nominated [5]
European Film Awards Best Animated Feature Film Won [17]
2025 Academy Awards Best Animated Feature Won [7]
Annie Awards Outstanding Directing in a Feature Production Nominated [18]
[19]
Outstanding Writing in a Feature Production Won
BAFTA Awards Best Animated Film Nominated [20]
Best Children's & Family Film Nominated
César Awards Best Animated Film Won [21]
Golden Globe Awards Best Animated Feature Film Won [22]

References

  1. ↑ Fleming, Ryan (3 March 2025). "'Flow' Director Gints Zilbalodis Hopes Latvia's Animated Feature Oscar Win Inspires "Independent Animation Filmmakers Around The World"". Deadline. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
  2. 1 2 Aguilar, Carlos (12 February 2025). "Gints Zilbalodis Discusses 'Flow' and the Movie's Oscar Nominations". The New York Times . ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on 12 February 2025. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
  3. ↑ "Dream Well Studio". Dream Well Studio. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  4. ↑ Keslassy, Elsa (7 June 2023). "Charades Boards Animated Feature 'Flow' from 'Away' Director Ahead of Annecy's WIP Showcase (Exclusive)". Variety. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  5. 1 2 "Flow". Cannes Film Festival. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  6. ↑ Abbatescianni, Davide (3 May 2024). "Gints Zilbalodis's sophomore feature, Flow, set to world-premiere in Cannes' Un Certain Regard". Cineuropa . Archived from the original on 3 May 2024. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
  7. 1 2 3 "The 97th Academy Awards | 2025". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . Retrieved 25 February 2025.
  8. ↑ Fleming, Ryan (5 January 2025). "Flow Director Gints Zilbalodis Shouts Out "Small, Young But Passionate Team" for First Golden Globe Win for Latvia: "This Is Huge for Us"". Deadline . Retrieved 8 January 2025.
  9. ↑ "Director Gints Zilbalodis named "Rīgan of the Year"". eng.lsm.lv. Retrieved 4 March 2025.
  10. ↑ Encendida, La Casa. "Flow Un Mundo Que Salvar De Gints Zilbalodis". La Casa Encendida (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 June 2025.
  11. ↑ "The National Film Centre of Latvia unveils the recipients of its latest round of funding". Cineuropa . 29 April 2025. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
  12. ↑ Szalai, Georg (26 August 2025). "'Flow' Co-Writer, Producer on Its Impact on Latvia, Follow-up 'Limbo,' Co-Directing 'I Love You, Lex Fridman!'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  13. ↑ Bennett, Anita (15 June 2019). "'I Lost My Body' Wins Best Feature at Annecy Int'l Animated Film Festival". Deadline. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  14. ↑ "Charades Goes with Gints Zilbalodis's Existential Feature 'Flow'". Animation Magazine. 7 June 2023. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  15. 1 2 "And the 2019 winners are..." Strasbourg European Fantastic Film Festival. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  16. ↑ "47th Annie Awards". Annie Awards. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
  17. ↑ Roxborough, Scott (7 December 2024). "'Emilia Pérez' Wins Big at European Film Awards". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 5 February 2025.
  18. ↑ Vlessing, Etan (20 December 2024). "'The Wild Robot' Leads Annie Awards Nominations With 10 Nods". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 23 January 2025.
  19. ↑ Pedersen, Erik (8 February 2025). "Annie Awards: 'The Wild Robot' Wins Best Feature & 7 Others; 'Arcane' Goes 7-For-7; 'Flow' Wins Indie Film Prize: Full List". Deadline . Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  20. ↑ Wiseman, Andreas (15 January 2025). "BAFTA Nominations: 'Conclave' & 'Emilia Pérez' Lead The Field As Open Awards Race Takes Shape". Deadline. Retrieved 23 January 2025.
  21. ↑ Keslassy, Elsa (28 February 2025). "Jacques Audiard's 'Emilia Perez' Wins Best Film at France's 2025 Cesar Awards (Full Winners List)". Variety . Retrieved 3 March 2025.
  22. ↑ Jamie, Lang (6 January 2025). "'Flow's' Shock Golden Globe Win Is a Long Overdue Triumph for Indie Animation". Variety. Retrieved 23 January 2025.

See also

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